Tragedy of the Commons
This term describes the overuse of shared resources due to individual self‑interest.
What is the Tragedy of the Commons?
Cutting all trees in an area at once is known as this logging method.
What is clearcutting?
These three crops—wheat, rice, and corn—make up most of the world’s food supply.
What are the three main global crops?
This irrigation method is over 95% efficient and delivers water directly to plant roots.
What is drip irrigation?
Pesticides that kill many different species are known as this type.
What are broad‑spectrum pesticides?
The “tragedy” occurs because individuals act in this type of interest instead of the common good.
What is self‑interest?
Clearcutting increases this type of soil loss because tree roots no longer hold soil in place.
What is erosion?
Farming that uses heavy machinery, fertilizers, and monocultures is known as this.
What is industrialized agriculture?
When salts remain in soil after water evaporates, this harmful process occurs.
What is salinization?
Rachel Carson’s book that raised awareness about DDT was titled this.
What is Silent Spring?
One strategy to prevent the tragedy is dividing shared land among individuals.
What is privatizing the commons?
Forests where trees have not been disturbed for 200+ years are called this.
What is an old‑growth forest?
Cutting and burning tropical forests to clear land is known as this agricultural method.
What is slash‑and‑burn agriculture?
: This U.S. aquifer is being depleted due to heavy irrigation use.
What is the Ogallala Aquifer?
This “treadmill” describes how pests evolve resistance, requiring more pesticides over time.
What is the pesticide treadmill?
These organisms are created by inserting desirable genes from one species into another.
What are GMOs (genetically modified organisms)?